


Hegemon

by Piinutbutter



Category: Food Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Complicated Relationships, Consent Issues, Extremely Dubious Consent, Guilt, Lack of Communication, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 12:40:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22296115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piinutbutter/pseuds/Piinutbutter
Summary: Realgar Wine has a lifetime of sins to atone for. If only he knew how.
Relationships: Dragon and Phoenix/Realgar Wine (Food Fantasy), Peking Duck/Realgar Wine (Food Fantasy)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 39





	1. Theraphosidae

**Author's Note:**

> I’ll use the D&P tag to save the AO3 wranglers a headache, but I’m still calling him Longfeng Stew because Elex isn’t my dad and they can’t tell me what to do.

Life in Longjing Tea’s villa had given Realgar Wine many things. It had given him a second chance at life - which he didn’t deserve. It had given him companions who he now dared to call friends - which he didn’t deserve. It had given him nightmares - which he did deserve.

Under his master attendant, Realgar had never dreamed. There had been nothing to dream about. His life only stretched as far as the four corners of his alchemy chamber, and his every waking moment was filled with calculations and chemicals. His mind had little desire to think about the craft further when he shut his eyes.

There was a lot more for his sleeping subconscious to dwell on these days. Like the drag of long, silken hair against his shoulders as a dark figure straddled his waist. The glint of golden eyes was the only light in his bedchamber. Realgar’s breath caught in his throat.

“Nice to see you again, little alchemist. Did you think I was done with you?”

Realgar shook his head, the movement barely perceptible. He couldn’t stop staring at the curtain of brown hair that all but swallowed the two of them up. He’d never seen Peking Duck with his braid undone, or his monocle missing. The result was...gorgeous, if he was being honest, but also a bit frightening. Peking looked wilder, like this. Like he wouldn’t be bound by the conventions of polite society when it came to dealing with problems. Problems like Realgar.

“You’re staring,” Peking said. “Are you unhappy to see me?”

“N-no, sir.”

Peking cocked his head. A smile touched his lips. It didn’t look friendly.

“You’re a poor liar, you know that.” He leaned closer. Realgar could feel the chill of his breath. “I don’t blame you, however. I wouldn’t be overjoyed to see my executioner, either.”

“My-?”

There were hands around his throat. Long, polished nails dug into the soft tissue beneath his jaw.

“Sir!” Realgar scrambled to pry the offending fingers away. He had little success. “What are you-?”

“Punishing you, of course,” Peking answered in an amiable tone. His grip tightened. “Did you really think you could get off so easy? After all you’ve done?”

A sheen of tears blurred Peking’s terrifying smile. “Please, sir,” Realgar gasped. “I-I know my sins! I know-”

“No,” Peking interrupted, pressing a knee sharply between Realgar’s legs. “You don’t know. You haven’t come close to atoning for the misery you’ve wrought. And until you do...”

Peking squeezed harder, and Realgar’s vision went white.

“...I’ll be here to remind you.”

When Realgar woke up, he was breathless, sweating, and so hard it ached.

* * *

The tranquil sound of guzheng music came to a sudden halt. It was accompanied by a question: “What’s gotten into you?”

Realgar paused in his chores, clutching a broom to his chest. He looked over to Dragon’s Beard Candy, who was analyzing him with suspicious eyes. “W-what do you mean?”

Dragon’s Beard scooted out from under her instrument. “Nothing. Only that you’d usually be holed up in your room at this hour. Instead you’ve been cleaning the same three chambers for the whole morning.”

“Ah.” Realgar lowered his head, praying his face wouldn’t betray him with a flush. “I am slacking off, aren’t I? My apologies, I’ll return to my work.”

In truth, he’d been doing his best to avoid his own chambers of late. Even brewing up the most innocuous remedies reminded him of his past, and that in turn reminded him of his nightly fantasies. The shame of them was overwhelming in the light of day. Hardly an afternoon went by without Realgar curling up into a ball and praying Longjing’s waterfall would swallow him up and wash away his humiliation.

It wouldn’t be so bad if the nightmares were just that; frightening visions and nothing more. What he didn’t understand was his body’s lewd reaction to what should have been a reminder to focus on reforming himself. What atonement could Realgar accomplish if he was busy lusting after the man who’d spared him?

Even more confusing was the fact that Realgar held no actual desire for Peking Duck. When he thought about the flesh and blood food soul, his thoughts were pure. Nothing but respect, gratitude, and fear. He couldn’t imagine performing the kind of sinful acts his sleeping mind conjured up for them. So why did he wake every morning ready to cry as much from arousal as from grief?

Dragon’s Beard tore him from his thoughts with a sharp pluck to one of the guzheng’s strings. It was followed by a shrug. “I don’t mind having a quiet audience for once. Longfeng would be disrupting me every few moments, and Longjing would have fallen asleep by now. There’s no need to leave if you don’t wish to.”

“Ah.” Realgar gave her a hesitant smile, though he still couldn’t look her in the eye. “Perhaps I’ll stay for the next song, then.”

* * *

To make up for his day of selfish slacking, Realgar shut himself in his work room from dusk til dawn. He steadfastly kept himself focused on the task at hand. Every time his mind started to wander, he clenched his fists, letting the hot sting of his nails ground him. At one point his palms started to bleed, dripping slow trails of mercury onto his work robes.

It worked, to an extent. He accomplished more than he had in weeks, and more importantly, he escaped sleeping in his bed. The following afternoon, he sat down for a rest on the mossy lake shore and ended up falling asleep in the warm sunlight. He was too exhausted to dream.

Or so he thought. He was fairly certain he was having a nightmare when he opened his eyes and was met with sunlight shining off of sharp fangs.

“Boo!”

Realgar scrambled away with a shout, dunking half his body into the lake in the process. The raucous laughter that followed at least proved he wasn’t stuck in a night terror.

“You should see your face!” Longfeng Stew cried, wiping a joyous tear from his eye as his laughter finally died down.

“...I’m sure I look quite amusing,” Realgar said. He climbed back onto dry land and began wringing out his clothing the best he could.

“You looked awful peaceful there, sleepyhead.” Longfeng clapped him on the shoulder. Once upon a time Realgar had cringed at such touches. At first he believed it to be a culture shock. But when none of the other residents of the villa laid their hands on him so freely, he figured it was just a quirk of Longfeng’s. The man spoke with his hands as much as with his tongue; rarely did a day go by where Realgar wasn’t knocked off balance by his companion and warden pushing or pulling him this way and that. He’d grown accustomed to it, though not fond of it.

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep out in the open.”

Longfeng held up a spiny black finger. “If you’re about to apologize for it, don’t. Longjing of all people has no place to be offended about someone taking a nap in his lake.”

“I suppose...”

The corners of Longfeng’s eyes crinkled as his fanged smile widened. “Besides, you were adorable, just snoozing away!”

Realgar could feel the blush hitting the tips of his ears. ‘Adorable’ was not a word he’d ever thought to hear applied to him.

Longfeng tugged at his arm. “But! You can’t sleep the whole day away. We have errands to run.”

“Oh. Yes, of course.”

Realgar had completely forgotten. It was their turn to make the trip into town. (Technically, it was Realgar’s turn. But he wasn’t permitted to go out unaccompanied.)

The massive sword slung over Longfeng’s back narrowly missed Realgar’s nose as the man whirled around and began marching decisively towards the forest entrance. “Onward! To victory!”

“...Grocery shopping is your idea of victory?”

“Why shouldn’t it be? We must conquer seasonal food shortages, and produce that’s ripened too quickly, and...”

Realgar shook his head as Longfeng went on about vanquishing the evils of the food market. “I’m sorry I asked.”


	2. Megophryidae

The market was bustling. Realgar wove between the crowd as best he could, muttering a constant litany of apologies for bumping into people. For once, he was grateful for Longfeng’s imposing presence; it gave them at least a semblance of a path through the chaos.

Realgar didn’t enjoy crowds. He’d been locked away from the outside world from the moment he was summoned to the moment Peking’s flames seared his skin. Even after he was given the life he had now, Longjing’s estate wasn’t a busy one. There were his fellow food souls, and the associates Longfeng occasionally dragged over to drink and make merry with. Peking and his female companion hadn’t visited since the festival.

Being surrounded on all sides by humans made him wonder if they were looking at him. Knowing him. Knowing what he’d done. Had he hurt the daughter of the man stepping aside so Longfeng could browse a trinket stall? Killed the father of the woman who manned the stall? The girls at the end of the counter, staring at Longfeng while whispering and giggling amongst themselves, telltale blushes dotting their childish round cheeks - had Realgar been responsible for the suffering of anyone they knew?

“Oi.” Longfeng smacked his shoulder. “Help me out here. Which do you think Zitui would prefer?”

Longfeng held up two baubles. They were elegant little things, made of tightly woven yarn. Their intricate craftsmanship was a world apart from the shabby bracelet Realgar still wore. He reached under his sleeve to fiddle with the bracelet as he talked.

“Which would he prefer? Prefer to do what with?”

“To wear, of course.” Longfeng puffed his chest out. “After the rave reviews of your festival robe, Dragon’s Beard has come around to my genius gift ideas. Longjing’s been hinting he wants to do something nice for his favorite healer, but since he’s an idiot who couldn’t express his feelings if his life depended on it, we’re taking the burden upon ourselves.”

Realgar smiled. Those four really did care for each other. He reached out and cupped one of the baubles in his fingers, examining it in the light.

“This one?” he said, tentative. “It’s white and red. Like Momo.”

That got him a toothy grin. “Momo colors it is! Miss, if you could wrap this up for us...”

They had to pass the gaggle of giggling girls as they moved onto other stalls. Realgar wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, truly. It was simply...difficult _not_ to hear them.

“C’mon! Talk to him!”

“You first.”

“No, you!”

“What dream world are you guys living in? There’s no way he isn’t taken. A hottie like him?”

“You’re right, but...”

“Don’t punch above your weight. Hey, Jiaqi! I hear Gang likes you. He’s more your speed, eh?”

“Eww! I’m not that desperate.”

Realgar kept his eyes fixed on Longfeng’s back as they moved out of earshot. It wasn’t the first time someone had openly admired his companion, and it wouldn’t be the last. He had to admit, he didn’t quite understand the hype. Was Longfeng handsome? Of course. Realgar wasn’t blind. But even before one got to know him and realized that he was a loud, obnoxious troublemaker - didn’t people see how _dangerous_ Longfeng was? Didn’t they see his sword, his talons, his teeth? Why weren’t they afraid?

After hitting up half the market for supplies, Longfeng took a sudden detour out of the town proper. A small, tame river ran through the rural area just beyond the last line of residential houses. Longfeng led him to a grove by the river’s edge, and Realgar was delighted at the opportunity to rest his feet.

“You getting lazy on me?” Longfeng teased, watching Realgar set his bags down and catch his breath.

“Ah, no. Sorry. Just not used to walking around. As - as much as you, that is.”

“Ah-ah, you shouldn’t say that kind of thing to me!” Longfeng waved a scaly finger at him, and Realgar blinked. “Now I know I need to work on building your stamina. Hmm...I’ve got just the thing.”

“I don’t like the sound of that.”

Realgar lunged for the bag filled with herbs for his personal work. Not quickly enough.

Longfeng skipped backwards with a grin, dangling the pouch triumphantly out of Realgar’s reach.

“Give it back.” The words were more a sigh of defeat than an actual sentence. Messing with the materials of Realgar’s trade was one of Longfeng’s favorite pastimes by now.

“You’ve gotta catch me first,” Longfeng called, the distance between them growing by literal leaps and bounds.

“This isn’t fair!” Longfeng was an experienced fighter with decades of training. Realgar was a reclusive rat, spreading plague without leaving his bedside. Longfeng just wanted to see Realgar humiliate himself trying to keep up.

“Aww, you’re no fun!” Longfeng slowed his pace, pouting. Realgar hurried to rejoin him, but Longfeng made no move to return his things. Longfeng put on a show of considering something. Then he snapped his de-clawed hand, his face lighting up in a grin that meant trouble.

“Okay, how’s this: We make an exchange.”

“A what?” Realgar wheezed, winded from even their short-lived chase.

“I’ll give you your herbs if you give me a kiss.”

“...A _what?”_ Realgar repeated.

“Exactly what I said! Come on, it’s a bargain. Just a little peck, riiight here.” Longfeng poked his own cheek.

Realgar sighed, rubbing his eyes to relieve the tension building behind them. Okay, so Longfeng was trying new tricks now. They were right on the riverbank, so he was probably coaxing Realgar into stepping close to him so he could shove him into the water. Or something.

Longfeng dangled the pouch over the river’s current, waggling it with raised eyebrows. The threat was implicit, if empty. Realgar got the message. They weren’t getting out of here until he played Longfeng’s stupid game.

“Fine.”

He marched forward, taking one determined step after another into Longfeng’s space. He closed his eyes and leaned in, bracing himself for whatever prank this idiot was trying to pull.

He stopped breathing when Longfeng’s scaly palm wrapped around the back of his neck.

It brought back the scent of blood and burnt flesh seared into sand. It brought back the feeling of Longfeng scruffing him like a disobedient dog, shoving his nose to the tainted ground and telling him to take a good look at what he’d done.

Longfeng tilted his head and darted forward, placing a quick, sloppy kiss on Realgar’s cheek. Realgar barely felt it. His hands were so numb he almost dropped the pouch that Longfeng finally returned to him. The blood pounding in his ears was loud enough that he hardly registered Longfeng’s gleeful exclamation.

“Gotcha!”

* * *

As they looped back through town, Realgar paused on a bridge. He had a perfect view of the harbor, here. Boats were coming and going. People and their possessions bundled onto the vessels, headed for who knew where.

For a tiny, secret moment, Realgar imagined getting onto one such boat and just...leaving. Going anywhere at all. What was out there? Or, more prudent: Was there anything out there for someone like him?

“Hey. Heyyy.” Longfeng’s call was noisy enough to rattle the bridge under his feet. “It’s time to go home.”

Right. Home.

That night, Realgar dreamed of a human hand - softer, but no less dangerous - shoving him into his pillow. Choking him. Nails dragged down his bare back, digging and tearing until the whole expanse of skin was hot and stinging. Cold lips brushed against his ear as a kind, fatherly voice reminded him he didn’t deserve to breathe.


	3. Scolopendridae

“Pardon me if this seems a strange question, but: Why does Longfeng Stew attract so much admiration from strangers?”

Zitui Bun glanced up from the Go board he was putting away. Zitui had managed to catch Longjing on a day when he was awake and pull him into a game, but Realgar had waited until they were finished and Longjing had retired to approach Zitui. He did not want Longjing to be a part of this conversation.

The healer cocked his head. “By ‘admiration,’ you wouldn’t happen to mean of the romantic variety?”

“Ah - yes.” He’d been embarrassed to say as much out loud. But he knew he could rely on Zitui’s perceptiveness.

“Well, I can’t say I’ve given much thought to the matter.” Momo hopped around Zitui’s pale fingers as he swept the table clean. “But it isn’t too difficult to see. Most people like to have a sense of safety, yes?”

“...Safety?”

Zitui nodded. “The matter of physical attraction aside - as that differs between individuals - on a base level, many of us simply want to be cared for. To be protected from the harsher aspects of the world. And Longfeng looks like the type of man who would risk life and limb to protect you.” He smiled, scratching Momo behind her ears. “Probably because he is.”

“Safety,” Realgar repeated, dumbly. The word refused to take root in his mind. Others looked at Longfeng and saw safety. Protection.

Protection from things like Realgar.

No wonder he didn’t feel the same. What did Realgar have to fear, but his own potential to slide back into darkness? And Longfeng had made it quite clear what fate awaited him should he fall again.

A twisted smile touched Realgar’s lips. That was safety, in a sense. At least he trusted Longfeng to make his death a quick and painless one.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what brought this question on all of a sudden?”

“Eh?”

Zitui was smiling. There was something almost smug in it that Realgar didn’t understand.

“Well...” Realgar toyed with his sleeve. “I was just wondering. That’s all.”

“That’s all? Nothing in particular brought it on?”

Zitui had always been the kindest member of the villa. He’d been gentle with Realgar even before he’d begun to earn Longfeng’s trust. Realgar had never felt intimidated around him. But now, Zitui’s smile looked so _knowing,_ like he was privy to something crucial Realgar wasn’t. It made Realgar feel both foolish and cornered.

“N-no? No. I swear.”

“That’s a shame, then. I’ll have to tell Longfeng he needs to be more obvious.”

“...Pardon me?” 

“I said, I’ll have to tell Longfeng he needs to be more obvious.”

“No, sorry - I heard your words. But I don’t understand how they relate to the conversation at hand.”

Zitui hid a gentle laugh behind his hand. “You’re still quite innocent, Realgar. That’s what Longfeng doesn’t understand. I’ve been telling him for ages he needs to speak plainly with you if he wants to get his message across.”

“I...would appreciate it if _you_ spoke plainly with me, now.” Realgar was completely lost. He could feel a headache coming on.

“You know Longfeng’s personality. He’s only serious with those he isn’t close to. If you’re his friend, he shows his affection by annoying you. You’ve seen how he acts towards Longjing, yes?” 

“Yes.” Realgar glanced around the area before speaking quietly. “Frankly, he seems like a nightmare.”

“Oh, he is. Yet they’re still the best of friends.”

Realgar thought he understood. “So, you’re saying Longfeng finally considers me a friend?”

Zitui finished cleaning up the table. He stood and brushed off his robes. “He’s considered you a friend for a long time. Has he not told you as much?”

“He has! I just...” _Didn’t quite believe him?_ He couldn’t say that. How rude of him.

“Realgar. Longfeng teases those he likes. If he’s been bullying you more than usual, it’s because he’s hoping to make you _more_ than a friend.” That knowing - _dangerous_ \- smile was back. “Frankly, we’ve all been waiting for you to notice.”

What in the heavens was Realgar supposed to say to that? A dozen questions formed in his head, but they refused to form an orderly line to his tongue. _Are you sure? How do you know? You’re teasing me too, now, right? What does he see in someone like me? How am I supposed to feel? What does he want from me? Why is this happening?_

What finally came out of his mouth was: “I see.”

Momo clambered up Zitui’s arm and perched on his shoulder. Zitui nuzzled against her fur. “He may not seem it, but Longfeng is shy in his own way. He’s not good with ‘soft’ emotions; he’d never come right out and say how he feels. I imagine all the teasing is becoming a burden on you, so perhaps you should indulge him. Pretend you figured it out on your own, though?” He laughed. “No need to rat me out, please. He’d definitely hit me if he knew I told you.”

“...Of course.”

Realgar left the common area and returned to his quarters without registering the trip. His mind refused to process anything other than what Zitui had just told him.

Zitui wasn’t the type to mock him. He, at least, genuinely believed Longfeng had...feelings for him. Feelings beyond friendship. Surely he was mistaken.

But he seemed so certain.

And if he was right - what did that _mean?_

Realgar appreciated Longfeng beyond words. The man had spared him and taken him in when he was well within his rights to condemn Realgar to a long, painful, and karmic death. As Longfeng had grown more comfortable with Realgar’s presence, he’d shown the less serious side of himself. He was always a source of amusement, if nothing else. And - Realgar ran his nail over the fraying bracelet - sweet, when he wanted to be. Realgar was honored to have him as a friend.

Did he want anything more? That, he wasn’t sure of.

Maybe it was his sheltered life, or simply his innate solitary nature, but Realgar had never considered involving himself in romance, let alone something...further. If he was being honest with himself, the thought frightened him. To give himself over to someone in such a manner was to make himself vulnerable. Longfeng was already Realgar’s judge and guiding hand. Must Realgar sink himself deeper into his debt, prostrate himself more wholly at his mercy?

Even as the thoughts flew through his mind he wanted to hush them, hide them in a dark corner where no one would go looking. He was so - damned - ungrateful. Longfeng had done so much for him, and Realgar repaid his kindness by cringing and sneering at the thought of his affection?

He fell into a fitful sleep after hours of working himself into a state over what would have been a simple matter, had Longfeng not chosen to offer himself to someone like Realgar, who was defective in so many ways. Small mercies: He didn’t dream.


	4. Iuridae

It was well into the night, but the villa was bright and bustling. Flitting fireflies competed with a roaring bonfire in the center of the courtyard, as well as the strings of lanterns that adorned the overhanging roof edges. Wuyi Da Hong Pao had sent word that he was visiting, and any excuse to throw a party was one that Longjing’s companions would take. 

Prosperity - and fate’s cruel habit of pranking Realgar - had it so that Peking Duck and his assistant were passing through the area as well, and were able to attend the festivities. The moment Realgar spotted the swaying tail of Peking’s braid, he very nearly tripped himself in his haste to hide himself away inside the house. He couldn’t face the man right now. He’d make a fool of himself.

As Realgar passed through the doorway, a scaly hand tugged at his robes, pulling him back outside.

“Abandoning us so soon?” Longfeng had a forlorn look on his face. “May I remind you you’re one of us now? You don’t have to run away.” 

“Ah, no...I wasn’t...” Realgar faltered at the sadness in Longfeng’s bright eyes. How did Zitui put it? Longfeng was ‘like a begging puppy,’ when he got like this. A puppy with the wicked teeth to match, certainly.

“Great!” Longfeng urged him back towards the festivities. “We’re just about to break out the alcohol.” 

Realgar rolled his eyes. Longfeng could drink ‘til he drowned in the stuff and hardly notice it until he was actively passing out. Realgar hadn’t yet developed a taste for drinking - yes, despite his namesake. He’d never had an opportunity to try alcohol in his isolation, and upon his first few tries, its overwhelming bitterness wasn’t exactly appealing to him.

As he sat down by the fire, however, he decided to try harder to tolerate the awful taste. Peking Duck was _right there_ , laughing and talking like all was right with the world. Though he’d hardly glanced at Realgar, his mere presence dragged all the flustered, confused feelings out of Realgar’s sinful dreaming mind. Realgar kept his gaze glued to the flames while Longfeng fetched him a drink.

Realgar accepted the offered glass with a muttered thanks. He grimaced and downed the foul liquid in one gulp. He followed that up with a short coughing fit.

Longfeng laughed and clapped his back. “There’s the spirit! I knew you had it in you. It’s good to let loose now and then, you know?”

Realgar wiped his mouth and took a deep breath. It wasn’t so bad once the worst of the taste has cleared out of his throat. He couldn’t even smell it much, since his nose was filling with the scent of pipe smoke. 

Pipe smoke?

He glanced over to see Peking Duck and his companion lounging together, both smoking their own respective pipes. Their arms were linked, their bodies pressed together in relaxed, effortless familiarity. It was a picture straight out of a work of art; the two of them were beautiful.

Peking noticed his stare. His eyes narrowed in amusement. His lips pulled into a smile that must have been mocking. Realgar’s heart nearly stopped. 

Realgar turned his whole body away from Peking and towards Longfeng beside him. He indicated his empty cup. “Is there more?” he asked. His voice broke on the last word.

“Sure there is!” Longfeng grabbed both their cups and stood. “Soon you’ll be drinking me under the table.”

That wasn’t quite true, although Realgar certainly made a valiant effort. He lost track of exactly how much he’d drank that night, although it couldn’t have been much at all. His body wasn’t used to intoxication - or perhaps the alcohol reacted oddly with his internal poisons. Whatever it was, within the hour Longfeng had hardly more than a blush in his cheeks, while Realgar couldn’t think any straighter than he could see.

That was likely why he didn’t protest very much when Longfeng pulled him out of his seat and invited him to dance. Dragon’s Beard was playing a lively song Da Hong Pao had requested, with Zitui lending his vocals to the performance. Realgar was still embarrassed, sure...but as long as he buried his face in Longfeng’s shoulder, he could pretend the others weren’t looking in his direction.

He hardly knew how to dance, but Longfeng wasn’t expecting him to. Mostly they just stepped together in something approaching rhythm. Realgar didn’t understand it, but Longfeng seemed happy, so-

-now was the time. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was his rational side, knowing that he’d keep working himself into a mess if he didn’t come out and clear things up with the man who he was likely going to have to spend the rest of his life with.

“Longfeng Stew.” The words escaped Realgar before he could think better of them. “What do you want from me?”

Longfeng missed a step in his simple dance. His hand squeezed Realgar’s briefly where they were connected. Realgar didn’t look up to see what Longfeng’s expression looked like.

“What do you mean?” Longfeng said, pulling their dance back into time with Dragon’s Beard. “I want you to walk a path to redemption.”

Realgar shook his head, still nuzzled into Longfeng’s shoulder, and grunted his disapproval of that answer. “Not what your...morals want from me. What your organization wants you to do for me. What do _you_ want from me?”

Longfeng sputtered for a moment. Realgar finally raised his head and saw him wide-eyed, mouth opening and closing a few times in abandoned responses.

Huh. Zitui was right. Shy in his own way, indeed.

To hell with this. Realgar needed answers.

“Longfeng. I’m told you desire me. Is that true?”

Longfeng went still. The first thing he did was snap, “Who told you that?”

Realgar leaned back, startled by the harshness in his voice, but it was tempered when Longfeng spoke next.

“Whatever. Ahh...dammit. Yeah, I guess you caught me.” He laughed, releasing his hold on Realgar’s waist to rub the back of his neck. “Didn’t really know how to tell you. Except I am now, sort of.” He released Realgar’s hand as well. Then, a moment later, he changed his mind and grabbed both of Realgar’s hands, holding them between their chests. 

“Look, I’m no good at this kind of thing. I mean, look at me!” He laughed again, and Realgar was struck by how vulnerable Longfeng looked right now. How vulnerable such a fearsome, brutal man was making himself - for Realgar’s sake. 

In that moment, Realgar hated himself more than he ever had. He didn’t notice he was crying until Longfeng reached out and wiped his cheek with a relieved smile. 

“Wow. Tears of joy. I mean that much to you, huh?”

Longfeng had let his palm linger on Realgar’s cheek. Realgar took a breath, leaned into it, and closed his eyes. He choked out a hoarse, “Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen. We're gonna pretend I'm a punctual, productive author and it's only been 7 days since the last chapter instead of 7 months. Totally. Yeah.


	5. Viperidae

Longfeng was so gentle it was cruel.

The two of them had stumbled, together, into Longfeng’s chambers. At least his bedroom didn’t reek of poisons. Flushed with alcohol and dazed with an anxious need to do something _right_ for once, Realgar Wine wasted little time in clutching Longfeng’s robes and pulling him close.

“My, my,” Longfeng commented, running careful claws through Realgar’s hair. “You’re bolder than I’d given you credit for.”

“So I am,” Realgar muttered. “Does it displease you?”

Longfeng clutched Realgar’s face between his palms, tilting his head to make their eyes meet. Realgar was staring down a toothy grin.

“Do I look displeased, little alchemist?”

The pet name turned Realgar’s sluggish blood to ice. This was yet another dream, wasn’t it? At any moment, Realgar would wake, and-

The burning hot lips on his own shattered the theory. Longfeng must have overheard Peking using the nickname, and assumed it was a term of endearment. Except, why would Peking have been discussing him with Longfeng, unless Peking had suspected Realgar of something wicked?

“Realgar?” The heat on his mouth moved away for a moment.

Right. Peking wasn’t here with him. Longfeng was.

Squeezing his eyes shut to clear his troublesome mind, Realgar gripped Longfeng’s shoulders and pushed into a kiss of his own. A low, pleased growl passed from Longfeng’s mouth to his own.

Minding his claws, Longfeng reached between them and parted the upper half of Realgar’s robes. He opened them just enough to reach inside and press his hand flat against Realgar’s chest.

Oh. He hadn’t noticed how fast his heart was beating.

“You know,” Longfeng said, “While I wish it could have been under better circumstances...I truly believe fate wished for us to meet.”

Longfeng withdrew his hand from his chest and wrapped both arms around Realgar’s narrow waist. Realgar had a fleeting vision of Longfeng squeezing with all his might and snapping him in half.

Longfeng continued, “And I thank her for it. I am so glad to have you.”

The next moments passed in a daze. It could have taken a minute for them to make it onto Longfeng’s bed, or it could have taken an hour. Realgar wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter. What did matter was that this terrifying warrior of a man was stripping him bare with a delicate touch he shouldn’t have been able to provide. He was caressing Realgar’s body and nuzzling his skin with soft words that Realgar didn’t deserve to hear.

Realgar hated it.

Fumbling in the half-darkness of the bedroom’s low candles, Realgar reached out and intertwined his fingers with Longfeng’s claws. He pulled Longfeng close and slung an arm around his neck, whispering an entreaty in his ear:

“Hurt me. Please?”

Pressed this close, he could feel the shiver that traveled down Longfeng’s body.

“You...” Longfeng’s thin, forked tongue darted out to wet his lips. “You are just full of surprises.”

“Unpleasant surprises?”

“I repeat: Do I look displeased?”

He didn't, but Realgar didn't want to look at him. If Realgar closed his eyes, he could pretend this truly was one of his dreams.

* * *

Longfeng was a heavy sleeper. Realgar was not, and his companion’s snoring wasn’t helping.

Not that he would have been able to rest easy.

Realgar sighed, dressed himself lightly, and pulled his hair back. In the breaks between Longfeng’s snores, he could hear a voice coming from the courtyard - a paternal coo.

Peking was alone, but for his ducklings splashing about in the stream. He turned his head when Realgar approached. Realgar noted with hollow amusement that the man’s wry smile didn’t fill him with shame any longer. After what Realgar had just done, he supposed the feeling was pointless to him.

“Have you come to tattle on me?” Peking asked in way of greeting. “Longjing hates it when I let the children play in his river.”

Realgar clutched his robes tighter about himself. The night had grown colder. “No, sir. I’ve come to ask you a favor.”

Peking raised an eyebrow. “Oh? I believe I’ve already told you that you have my forgiveness.”

“And after you told me that. You made me an offer.”

Realgar turned back towards the villa, glancing at the door to Longfeng’s chambers.

“Does your shop still need an alchemist?” he asked.

Peking followed his gaze. There was that look in his eyes: Amused. Knowing. Understanding Realgar better than he understood himself.

It was terrifying, and more arousing than the entire evening with Longfeng had been.

“My dear poisoner, I believe there’s something you aren’t telling me.”

Realgar swallowed. He refused to cast his eyes down. “That may be true, sir. It doesn’t change my question. Does your offer still stand?”

Peking crossed his arms. “I’m afraid it does not.”

That cruel, simple dismissal brought Realgar back down to reality. The emboldening high of drunkenness and determination left him in one breath. He wondered, quite suddenly, if drowning himself in the river would be a better option than continuing down whatever strange path he’d put himself on.

Then again, if Longjing was anything to go by, food souls couldn’t drown. How silly he was being.

“Are you certain?” Realgar asked, uncaring how pathetic his entreaty sounded.

Peking nodded. “Quite certain. I’ll leave this place in the morning. I have people waiting for me back at the shop.”

With one hand, he shooed Realgar back towards the villa.

“You, meanwhile, have people waiting for you here.”

“So I do,” Realgar muttered. He turned away before Peking could see the tears welling in his eyes. “So I do.”

After all, this was his home.


End file.
